


Once Bitten, Twice Forgotten

by ItsYaBoiLouis, StuffedMonk



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Character Death, Character Turned Into Vampire, Eventual Romance, F/F, M/M, No Smut, Oh boy the angst, Rating May Change, Romance, Violence, its vampires what did you expect, not bad now but just wait, see if you can guess who, thats really later though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2019-07-14 14:34:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsYaBoiLouis/pseuds/ItsYaBoiLouis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StuffedMonk/pseuds/StuffedMonk
Summary: Clementine is a Vampire Hunter. Her solo record flawless, not a single failed contract to her name, every hunt successful.This contract may be different.





	1. The Start

_**A HUNTER'S GUIDE, VERSE ONE** _  
  
_Darkness, it's embrace cold, unforgiving. Vampires are among those that can embrace it as a friend. When night falls, these creatures descend upon the unwary, the unknowing. Upon the victim having their blood drawn by the Vampire's fangs, the bite can either be lethal or much, much worse._

_Many may ask, "What could be worse than death?" The answer is fairly simple. Should the victim survive, they will become a Vampire in turn. Once the transformation is complete, an overwhelming hunger engulfs the newly turned. They set out in search of a victim, and thus the cycle continues._  
_Hunters are advised to always keep one ear trained on their surroundings, else you may end up as one of these creatures._

Clementine looked over the verse over and over, despite having it committed to memory. It helped reinforce what Lee told her on a daily basis.

"Never hesitate, Clem. These things never will, always remember tha-"

"I know, Lee!"

It was a daily lesson, even when she wasn't about to take on a contract. She guessed it was because Lee had been too protective. She couldn't blame him, he was practically her father, though not biologically. But he was gone now.

But she was getting tired of hearing it regardless. She had been a hunter since she turned eight, and had been taking on contracts successfully for thirteen years. Not once had she botched a contract, not once had she felt a Vampire's fangs pierce her neck. Every kill was perfect, without fault, every hunt a resounding success.

She wished she could say the same for her comrades.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_The Vampires were circling in closer and closer. Clementine, Gabe and Sarah were out of ammo, only their wooden stakes left. One of the creatures had moved forward and descended upon Sarah, it's fangs sinking into her neck. She had reacted to it's movements too slow._

_Gabe let out a cry of rage, and drove his stake into the Vampire's head. Clementine took on one at a time, Vampiric blood spattering all over herself. Those that had not fallen to Clementine and Gabe's rage had fled._

_Afterwards they held the body of their friend close, life draining from her body. It was obvious the bite had been fatal, and she didn't have much time left. They said their goodbyes as Sarah took her final breath. They took the time to bury her, and left. Their would be time to grieve when they were safe._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
Clementine stared at herself in the mirror, sweat dripping down her forehead.

Nightmares always plagued her, most nights she was unable to sleep. She splashed more water in her face, trying to collect herself. She'd been a hunter for thirteen years, she was no stranger to death, never has been. So why did this nightmare always bother her the most? Was it because they couldn't save Sarah, or was it because they watched her die?

Lee would tell her it was because she still had emotions, a mark that she hadn't lost her humanity, that she was still human through and through.  
If this was the toll it was taking on her, then she didn't want to be human. She then slapped herself mentally, Sarah wouldn't want her to think like that.

She crawled back into her bed and tried to get more sleep, without the nightmares.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
_An eight year old girl looked eagerly into her protector's eyes, a request she's waited too long to make had been asked._

_"Clem, I don't know about this... if you join the hunters-"_

_"Lee, please! I'll be okay, I promise!"_

_Lee hesitated, this choice wasn't easy. One one hand, she would have her life changed, for better or worse. The training will scar her, mentally and physically. On the other hand, she would be able to defend herself outside the walls of the city, and be able to save others. Lee wouldn't stay young forever, and would eventually lack the capability to protect her._

_"All right Clem, i'll let you join, but you have to promise me one thing first."_

_"Anything!"_

_"Never hesitate when you see a Vampire, they never will."_  
_The girl's eyes lit up like beacons in the night. "Of course, I won't let you down!"_  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
"Hey Clem, get up! New contracts have been posted!"

So much for sleeping in.

"All right Gabe, shut up! I'm up!"  
Clementine sat up and looked out her window at the city safe zone the hunters had set up. It was relatively safe, the walls were secure and the Vampires weren't stupid enough to attack with the bulk of the hunters here. But the city wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. Disease still ran through the streets, and despite all the protection, people still felt like they could die the next day.

She pulled on her gear and trench coat, and walked out of her room to meet Gabe, who was waiting impatiently.

"About time you walked out, were you gettin' philosophical in there?"

Clementine scoffed. "The day I get philosophical is the day I botch a solo contract, Gabe."  
"And when will the mighty Clementine ever manage that?" said Gabe.

"Exactly, now shut up."

They entered the contract room and examined the board. Lee would never have allowed her to pick from the high risk contracts, but it was her choice now.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_A fourteen year old Clementine looked into the eyes of her old protector, her surrogate father. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to the bite on his neck. Tears streamed down her eyes to her cheeks._

_"Clem... Clem, you gotta listen to me. My time is out, sweetpea..."_

_"No, Lee! I can get you back to the city, we'll find a way to save you, i'll-"_

_"Clem, you can't... the bite was fatal, you have to listen... do you remember my first lesson?"_

_"Never hesitate... but why-?"_

_"It was after you, and I don't know why it was... but it'll be back. Don't question it, just kill it. Don't hesitate..."_

_"Okay Lee... I will..."_  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RANK 4 CONTRACTS

WARNING, THESE CONTRACTS COME AT EXTREME RISK FOR HUNTERS OF ALL SKILLS. SURVIVAL IS NOT GUARANTEED.

CONTRACT #1: WILLIAM CARVER, HIGH MENTAL INSTABILITY. KILLED 16, ONE HIGH RANK (LEE EVERETT), HUNTERS TO DATE. EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED.

CONTRACT #2: VIOLET, MENTALLY STABLE. KILLED 7 HUNTERS TO DATE. HIGHLY CUNNING AND DECEPTIVE. EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED.

Clementine glared at the contract wall. There was a contract on the Vampire that killed Lee, her only family. She tore it off, determined to kill it. She also grabbed the second, should she have time to hunt it as well.

"Clem, are you fucking insane?!"

"No, Marlon. I thought we established that you were the insane one?"

"But you grabbed two rank four contracts! After what happened to Louis after we took one on, you should know better!"  
Clementine sighed. She knew Marlon was paranoid after Louis, but this was new.

"I know what happened, Marlon. But don't try to disuade me from taking them on by using Louis as a god damn reminder of the risks!"

Marlon went wide-eyed. He shot a glare at Clementine and stormed away. She understood his anger, but not his reasoning. Louis had died almost two years ago on that contract, and she assumed Marlon would have moved on by now. Apparently not.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_Marlon had returned from his contract without Louis. Clementine and Gabe had both asked him what had happened out there, about what had happened to Louis. Why hadn't he come back?_

_"He's... gone. There's no point asking what happened, you can figure it out by yourself."_

_Surely it was a prank, a joke. Louis couldn't just be gone, he couldn't be. He would walk through that door at any minute, throw his arms around Marlon and take them all to the bar, with that stupid smile on his face._

_But he didn't._

_Gabe ran his hands through his hair, tears running down his face. Clementine collapsed into a nearby chair and cursed herself. If she had gone, they all would've come back alive._  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Clementine and Gabe arrived at the contract verification center, it was routine when hunters wanted to take on a contract. If they didn't clear through the verification center, the contract was a no go. Needless to say, they doubted they would be cleared.

  
Behind the desk was David, Gabe's father. He authorized all contracts hunters wished to undertake. Should he decide a hunter didn't have enough gear, or was simply too unexpeirenced to take on the contract of his or her choosing, he'd send them packing.  
When he saw Gabe and Clementine, he was prepared to turn them away immediatly.

  
But of course, that's not what happened.

  
"Dad, we're ready for this! You can't keep turning us away!"

  
"Gabriel, it's not you i'm worried about! It's her!"

"Excuse me?! Did you forget i'm listening too?!"

  
She was appalled, to say the least. Here she was, a model hunter ready to take on two rank four contracts, and David was saying she wasn't capable? She thought this was outrageous

.  
"No, I didn't forget! But after what happened with your last joint contrac-"

  
"Shut up! You, of all people, don't have the RIGHT to talk about that, least of all lecture me about it! The only job you have is to verify our contracts, and nothing else! So I suggest you do just that, and nothing else."

  
David was appalled, shaking with rage at Clementine's outburst. But she had a point. Silently, he verified the contracts for Carver and Violet, and let them outside.

  
It was a long walk to the outer gate. Neither had spoken since coming outside. Once they cleared this gate, there was no coming back for either of them until the Vampires were dead. Gabe decided this was a good time as any to break the silence.

  
"Look, i'm not saying i'm ungrateful for you getting us through, but that was my dad. Maybe you could go a little easier on him next time?"

  
"He deserved it, Gabe. He shouldn't have brought that up."

  
Gabe decided it was best to not press the issue further.

  
The guards opened the gate for them to get through. The second they stepped outside, the gates were immediatly shut. They weren't going to come back until Violet and Carver were dead. This was their duty. When they came back, they'd be praised as the youngest hunters to kill two rank four Vampires.

  
If they came back at all. They didn't have high chances of survival, but they could hope they would live,

 


	2. The best laid plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clementine and Gabe close in on the first contract. Not everything goes as it should.

Amongst the ruins of the Old City, two hunters made their way through the wreckage and destroyed building. The Vampires spared no expense during their initial attack on the cities, during their slaughter of the innocent populace who once dwelled here.

  
Clementine and Gabe picked their way through all of this, tripping over the bones of the dead. No one had been here since the fighting started, not even Vampires. This city was known to both humans and Vampires as the City of the Damned.

  
To Clementine and Gabe, it was known as a regular shortcut.

  
Their contracts sounded relatively simple, two rank four Vampires. They had weapons, skill, and above all, their wits and humanity. The one thing Vampires would never have, is humanity. Those things were ruthless, unrelenting. And they didn't know mercy.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
 _Clementine's stake pierced the heart of the creature before her, it's cry of pain earsplitting. She yanked her weapon from it's chest, blood spilling from the wound, dropping to the ground, dead._

  
_This had been her seventeenth solo contract, another complete kill. She took the Vampires ring as a trophy to prove she had completed the kill. It was tradition among the more seasoned hunters, protocol among the rank and file._

  
_Suddenly her kill started to move, but that couldn't be possible. She had just killed it, hadn't she?_

  
_She took out her gun and loaded in a fresh clip, bent down and put the barrel against it's head._   
_She pulled the trigger, it's head exploding out the back. It's hand let go of her arm and hit the ground with a thud. If it wasn't dead now, she wasn't sure what it would take._

  
_Then she heard a whistle from atop a nearby building. She turned and looked up, and saw a black hooded figure. By the time she had lined up the headshot, whoever it was, had gone._  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Clem? Hey, earth to Clementine!"

  
Gabe was shaking Clementine, trying to pull her back.  
"Okay, stop. I'm fine..."

"Are you sure? You slipped away for a second. I got-"

"Worried? This isn't the first time it's happened, i'm fine."

Gabe wasn't convinced. "No, your not. If this happens in combat-"

"I said i'm fine!"

Gabe backed up from her, he hadn't expected her to snap like that. It wasn't normal for her. Usually it was a running joke between the two. Gabe would say something stupid, and Clementine would snap at him casually. This time, all he had done was show concern for his friend, and she snapped back like he had become a threat.

  
She stood up and walked toward the window of the building they were camped in. If Clementine's instincts were right, and they usually were, one of the contract Vampires was close by. She knew the risk of fighting a rank four Vampire, but it didn't help her in the slightest.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
When dawn broke into their camp, it wasn't the sunlight that woke them. It was gunshots.

  
Clementine and Gabe's first insinct was to find cover and check weapons. Normally, humans weren't a problem. If they were encountered, it was usaully the wanderers, people who hadchosen to take their chances outside of the safe zone. Normally, these people cooperated with other wanderers and the safe zone. But they were still prepared for the worst.

  
Clementine brought out her binoculars and looked out the window to find the source. It took a while to find, and when she found it, she wished she hadn't.

  
What she saw was an execution in the process. People were lined up in a row, about ten or twelve in total. A man was walking up and down the line of hostages, executing at random. Clementine changed the zoom distance on her binoculars and saw that it wasn't a man killing them. It was a Vampire.

  
"It's Carver, Gabe. He's executing people."

  
"You can't be serious!"

  
"I am, now it's time to move in. Get your gear, we're going in now."

  
It didn't take long for them to gather their gear. On the way, they discussed on how they would handle it. Gabe argued for going in head-on. Clementine said that was practically suicide, that a stealthy approach was more suited to their skills. Gabe saw the look on her face, saw she was serious. He stopped after that.

  
They took position behind some of the trees near the execution. Vampires formed a circle around the line and Carver, more than they could possibly kill at once. Another Vampire, one Clementine recognized from the black cloak, standing behind him.

  
"These humans refused our promise of safety! They would rather throw themselves to the wolves, instead of sacrificing a little amount of blood! We all know the punishment for insubordanation, the penalty of betrayal!" He then pointed his gun at another, and before the gun could be fired, the black robed figure tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed to Clementine and Gabe's hiding spot.

"Shit, how'd they know?!"

"That doesn't matter now, Gabe!"

The Vampires were closing in now, Carver in the lead. The figure had stayed behind.

"Look here, it seems we have ourselves some hunters! Have they come to kill us, I wonder?"

Carver reached out with lightning fast reflexes and grabbed Clementine by the neck. Two other Vampires restrained Gabe.

"Well, little girl? Have you come to ruin our fun?"

"You... you call this fun? M-Mindless execution?!"

Carver simply laughed, his smile becoming twisted and sick.

"You don't know anything, do you girl?"

"I... I know your sick!"

With what little strength she could muster, she pulled out her stake and drove into Carver's gut. He howled in pain and outrage, and dropped Clementine. He ripped it out of his gut and yanked it out. The Vampires holding Gabe dropped him, and he quickly kiled both. He tossed his Stake to Clementine.

  
She caught it midair and started to fight head to head with Carver. He dodged and sidestepped Clementine's every strike, every move. More Vampires kept replacing the ones Gabe killed. The fight wasn't in their favor.

  
Then the black robed Vampire made it's move. Like lightning, it struck at every Vampire it could reach. Heads went flying, bodies hit the ground every few seconds. Carver realized what was happening too late. Within minutes, all the Vampires were dead except for Carver.  
What Clementine couldn't understand is why a Vampire would turn on it's own without hesitation. This wasn't territorial, hell, it wasn't even a revenge killing. That Vampire had an agenda, and Clementine couldn't figure out what it was.

  
She took the chance the Vampire's sudden turn had created, and drove Gabe's stake into Carver's heart. Blood spurted from his mouth, his look of insanity melting into one of fear. He dropped to his knees, but his attention was focused not on Clementine, but on the only remaining Vampire besides himself.

  
"Was... Was this your plan? To have me killed, after everyone we killed? Does the girl even know it wasn't me that killed him?"

Then, for the first time since the fight had begun, she spoke.

"Only partly, and learn to keep your mouth shut."

She kicked Carver onto the ground, and smashed in his head. Then the Vampire heard the click of a gun behind her.

"Turn around. Slowly. Lower your hood."

The Vampire did as Clementine asked. Once her hood was lowered, she raised her hands in surrender. "Is this how you treat everyone who helps you?" 

"Only the ones who aren't human, and their all dead."

"Well, then allow me to humbly introduce myself before you kill me?"

Gabe stumbled up next to Clementine, nearly out of breath. "Don't trust it, Clem! It just turned on it's own! Do you really think we should let it live?"

"I want to know why!" She pointed at the Vampire, "And you, start talking!"

The Vampire sat on Carver's corpse. "Well, I saw an oppurtunity to kill someone I hated, and I took it. It's as simple as that."

"And what did Carver mean? What do I not know, about him killing someone that I knew?"

"Does that matter?"

Several thoughts were racing through her head now. What did this Vampire want, what did it mean by the question it asked Carver? What the hell was it's agenda?

"And your name?"

"Violet."

In seconds, Clementine was on her, trying to drive the stake into her heart. But Violet was faster, stronger. Now Clementine was on her back,

Gabe pointing his gun from his original position. Clementine started back into the Vampire's orange eyes.

"Now, that wasn't very smart, was it?"

"You get the hell off her!" Gabe was advancing slowly, his eyes wild. "I said get off her!"

Slowly, Violet raised herself to her feat. The Vampire looked back and forth between Clementine and Gabe. 

Then with her reflexes, she took the gun from Gabe's hands and tossed it to the ground. She looked back to Clementine, a smirk spreading across her face.

"I'll be taking my leave now. You just make my life interesting again."

In a split second she was gone. Clementine stormed over to Gabe, her anger something to behold. 

"Why didn't you shoot her?! Why didn't you take the fucking shot?!"

"Because I couldn't keep my aim steady! Did you want me to shoot you by accident?!"

"Neither of us were moving! It would've been easy to line it up, Gabe!"

"I didn't want to risk it, it still could've been you, I couldn't-"

"And because you couldn't, we'll be tracking her for God knows how long! Great fucking job, Gabe!"

She stormed off in the direction Violet had taken, not bothering to wait for him. Gabe took a scarf from a dead Vampire and wrapped it around his neck, determined not to let Clementine see the bite on his neck. He knew it wasn't fatal, but he would stay for as long as could.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the cliffhanger ;)


	3. Two Sides of The Same Coin

The Vampire under Clementine's boot was beaten, bloody, and broken. The fight was short, quick. Clementine quickly overtook the creature, no true effort expended.

  
"Please, mercy! Let me go, i'm begging you!"

Clementine was silent for a minute, her conscience wavering. Surely this wasn't neccesary, it was frightened. Then she made her choice.

"No."

  
With a twist of her boot, the creature's neck snapped. It was over in an instant. Gabe stumbled up behind her, his face even more pale than before. He knew the bite was about to turn him, he just didn't know how soon. He couldn't let Clementine catch on.

  
"Damn, Clem! You... you've gotten cold..."

  
"It's not myself i'm worried about, Gabe. Whatever you have is getting worse, but we're almost to the outpost. We should be able to get help there. Violet can wait until you've recovered."

  
"Yeah... Yeah that works..."

  
The night was mostly silent, and Gabe had never appreciated it more until now. He had always taken simple luxeries like sleep for granted, and soon he wouldn't have that luxery anymore.

The bite was working faster than he originally thought, he was running out of time.

Gabe started thinking of ways to hide when he turned, each less likely to work than the last. As they approached the outpost, he became more desperate. Hunters knew very well the signs of someone about to turn.

"Hey, Clem?"

"What?"

"I... I think i'll wait out here for a bit. Keep watch while you get help."

Clementine hesitated, and gave Gabe a suspicious look.

"Fine, but be in there in less than thirty."

"No problem."

When Clementine walked inside, Gabe leaned up against a window and listened in.

"Ben, I need something some from you. It's urgent."

"Okay, but you know i'm no good in a-"

"I'm not asking you to fight. First thing, have you seen a Vampire pass through, wearing black robes?"

"One. It seemed to be in a hurry, running from something."

"That's because i'm hunting it. Which way did it go?"

"Clementine, I-"

Clementine unsheathed her stake, and stared down Ben. It was illegal to draw weapons on another hunter, but she was desperate. "Which way, Ben?"

"T-To the north, towards an abandened town. It's the only one out there, you can't miss it."

"That wasn't hard, now was it? Second thing, my friend needs medical help, can you offer any?"

"Not much, but i'll see what I can do."

Gabe stumbled away from his spot. He was running out of time. In an hour or less, he would turn, he felt it. It was now or never. As a last resort, he bit himself so hard on his hand, and tore off a piece of his jacket. He wiped his blood on it and dropped it on the ground where he stood.

If Clementine suspected he ran or faked his own death, protocal would keep her from looking for him. He felt dirty, faking his own death, hiding the bite he had suffered. But he had no other choice now. When he heard Clementine's voice, he ran for it.

  
Not far off, he could hear Clementine's disbelief, her shock. He heard her rage, cursing herself. He felt even more guilty, but he knew he couldn't help her anymore. If he stayed, and turned while she was asleep or with her back turned, he might kill her. He couldn't risk it.  
He found a cave to hide in, to wait out the last few minutes of his mortality. He would turn soon, and he wanted to be as far away as possible when it happened.

  
A few minutes later, the transformation had started. His body was wracked with pain, images flashing through his mind from random points in his life. He fell over onto the cold stone ground in the cave, and eventually passed out from the pain.

  
When he came to, he felt cold, dark, and couldn't feel the beat of his own heart. He had turned. He knew he was dangerous now, but part of him. the part that was still human, believed he could still help his friend, even from the shadows. He was still weak, numb, but he wouldn't let it stop him. Slowly, he left the cave, unsure what to think the future might hold, while time still had meaning to him.

  
Meanwhile, Clementine was distraught by the loss of her closest friend. The only thing driving her was rage now, uncapable of feeling anything else for the time being. She made her way north, the goal of finishing off this other Vampire cemented in her mind.

  
When she arrived, it was cold, dark, and foreboding. It wasn't safe to be out in the open like this alone. She quickly found shelter in the town, and settled in for the night. When she was quite sure she was still alone, the feeling of grief set upon her like a wild animal.

  
Gabe was gone, dead, though she didn't know how. She wished now she hadn't snapped at him the way she did, before Carver. She wished she had spent more time with him, and not alone. He had died alone, without anyone to help him close by. She blamed herself severly, not knowing who else could take the blame.

  
She settled in for the night, hoping to sleep some of her pain away. She knew better, but chose to try anyway.  
Right as she was about to fall asleep, she heard the creak of a door, footsteps. Someone had come in. Immediatly she was up, stake in one hand and her gun in the other.

  
Behind her, she heard a heavy sigh, and a familiar voice.

"You really need to loosen up, you know. All this stress can't be good for you.

Clementine whipped around to see short blonde hair and bright orange eyes. Violet didn't move when Clementine had her weapons on her, she only laid back more on the chair she was sitting in.

"Relax. Clementine, was it? Heard that boy call you that after Carver."

"Don't talk about him, you freak!"

"Okay, okay. Just thought a more... friendly introduction was in order. I'm sure you already know my name, right?"

"What do you want?"

"You, my beautiful little hunter, are being followed. And I can help you, if you let me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! It's shorter than the other two, but don't worry about that! If you like cliffhangers and (small)angst, they are definitely here!


	4. Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two conflicting sides

_"What do you mean i'm being followed?"_

_"Is it that hard to understand, or are all humans this slow?"_

_Clementine tightened the grip on her stake. This was deplorable, but she wanted answers._

_"Tell me who!"_

_Violet smirked. Toying with this human like this was fun. She hadn't had this much fun in a century._

_"Say please?"_

_"Don't toy with me! Tell me already!" She approached Violet, her knuckles white from clutching her stake so hard, fire in her eyes and malice in her voice._

_"Testy, aren't we? Very well. There's a figure following you, my guess is that it's another Vampire, but I couldn't tell who. There might be more, i'm not sure."_

_Clementine wasn't sure what to think. There was someone following her, stalking her like a game hunter stalks his prey. This couldn't be good._

_"And how would you help me?"_

_Violet smirked. She was telling the truth, but that didn't mean her fun had to end. She leaned back further into the chair and spoke this time with one eye closed. She had a feeling that would irritate her._

_"Why, by staying with you! A low life Vampire, such as the one stalking you, wouldn't dare reveal itself or try to harm you with me around!"_

_Clementine's eye twitched. What was this thing's angle? She knew something wasn't right, but what choice did she have? She was alone now anyway._

_"Fine, I accept your help."_

_Violet smiled. "You made the right choice, beautiful. We'll be such great friends!"_

_Clementine doubted that was the case._

_\----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

Clementine and Violet sat by a fire not far out of the ruined town. Clementine was watchful and alert, only relaxing to tend the fire. They were being watched, and the only question was how long it would take for whoever it was to show themselves. When they did, she wouldn't allow herself to show any mercy. _  
_

Violet didn't need the warmth of the fire. Her skin was cold, and the last time she felt warm was over 200 years ago. Instead, she walked around the ring of their camp, looking for anything that seemed remotely out of place. She had to admit, she had respect for this human. She was quiet, and seemed content with her around now.

She strolled back over to the fire where Clementine sat, staring into the orange-red flames. She thought it made the human look mysterious, and at the same time ominous.

"So, do you have any idea of where we're going? What your plan is to lure out the stalker I told you about?"

"I just want to get home, I don't care about anything else now."

"You know you can't, Clem."

Clementine tensed up. The first time she heard someone call her that was when Lee was still alive, the last time from Gabe.

"You don't get to call me that."

"And why not? We're such good friends now!"

"No, we're not. Stop saying that."

Violet simply smiled. "Things can change, Clem. You know that-"

"I said to not call me that! You don't have the right!"

Violet, for the first time in the months they've been together, Violet was shocked by Clementine. She looked away from her, and stayed silent. She didn't know why she had snapped like that, over a nickname. She didn't find it odd, suspicious, or strange. She found it to be concerning.

It was a few hours before Violet chose to speak again. She chose her words carefully. 

"You know that if you go back, you'll still be in danger?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because i'm a Vampire, Clementine. I know how the rest of my kin thinks, and they won't stop hunting you. By going back, you put everyone there in danger, but not as much as yourself."

Clementine looked at Violet, a look of confusion across her face.

"And why would you care?"

It took Violet a few minutes to respond. She was expecting a cold retort, or just silence. Not this.

"I don't know."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabe had never felt so cold, so small, and not himself. Whenever he grew hungry, he tried to eat from the rations he brought with him, but they didn't help. It only made the hunger worse. Whenever he was thirsty, he would try to drink from his flask, but it only left him feeling dehydrated. He knew what it meant, he knew he had to feed on human blood. All Vampires did. 

But if Gabe gave into it, the last part of him that was human would be gone. He refused to feed on what he once was, it wasn't right.

The longer he went without drinking blood, the more of himself he lost. He had promised himself to look after his friend without her knowing, but how long would that last? Eventually he would lose his mind, he wouldn't be himself anymore. He didn't want to think about what he might do.

He looked from the house he was camped in towards Clementine's camp, and silently cursed himself for not telling her he was bitten. He would do what he could for now, until he no longer could.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clementine watched Violet making her rounds around the new campsite, intrigued and confused why she hasn't killed her yet, that she had yet to reveal the real reason she had stayed this long. She couldn't figure out her angle, no matter how hard she tried to read her, and at the same time it seemed like she didn't have a reason.

Violet had finished making her rounds, the area seemed relatively clear. It was closing in on 8 months since they left the town, and the stalker still hadn't revealed itself. She thought it would've made it's move by now, but it hadn't, and maybe she preffered that it never did. But if it struck, she would be ready to defend her friend.

Friend. She thought she would never use that word.

Clementine was stoking the fire, trying to keep it going so they'd at least have light. Violet sat next to her, her hands fidgeting and squirming in her lap. Normally, Clementine would shoot her a murderous look, and Violet would back off to a different spot. Now, however, she didn't seem to mind.

The silence felt ominous, eerie. It was unsettling, so Clementine broke the silence.

"Why have you stayed?"

"What?"

"I asked you why you stayed. You could've left, could've killed me, but you didn't. You stayed. Why?"

Violet wasn't sure why. There were a lot of reasons she could come up with and use. Because she was entertaining? Because she was interested? Despite all her years manipulating people and Vampires alike, the number of Vampires she'd stabbed in the back just to keep herself alive, she couldn't do the same thing to Clementine. She was a Vampire, and she didn't understand why she felt the things she did.

It took her awhile to think of a response, and when she did, she guessed it was the reason she stayed all this time.

"I guess it's because, that for the first time in... I don't know how long, I feel human again."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabes stumbled over his own feet, trying to regain control of his own thoughts. He felt like his mind had shattered into pieces, like all he could feel was this sickening hunger, a burning feeling inside his stomach. 

He was losing himself, his mind threatening to leave him behind. He tried desperetly to calm himself down, to make his thoughts his own again. When he did, he felt like he hadn't taken a breath in years, like he had never fully felt like himself. 

Now he was scared, scared that he had almost lost control of himself, that he almost stopped being human.

His time was running out now, and he didn't know if he should distance himself away from his friend while he still could, or to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, the main idea was to try and show a Violet feeling human, while Gabe starts to lose the last thing that keeps him human. I don't know if it was portrayed correctly, but we already have several good ideas that I wasn't able to mix into this concept, but they will show up in the next chapter and the ones following it.


	5. Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter took so long! Also, enjoy the the cliff hanger :)

"Can you tell me more about your kind?"

  
Violet didn't expect a question like this, not even from Clementine. Hunters spent their life killing Vampires, and never bothered to even consider talking to one. But Clementine wasn't like normal hunters from what she'd seen. If she were, Violet would be dead by now. Yet she wasn't. Violet never considered she would have to answer this question until now.

Violet hesitated before answering, unsure of what to say. She settled on something, but she didn't know how Clementine would react.

"Well... all Vampires were human once. Doesn't that manuel you carry around tell you that?"

  
Clementine's reaction was enough of an answer. She appeared genuinely shocked, unsure of what to make of this.

"I'm guessing it doesn't?"

"All it says is that there's a small chance for someone to turn."

"Well, it's far from small. There's always the chance of death, but I guess if they said how high the chance of turning actually was, hunters would be too scared to go out. Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

Clementine sighed, running her hands through her hair. It was a lot to take in for someone like her, even though it didn't seem like it. Then she asked again.

"Carver... Carver said something about me. About something I didn't know. What was it?"

Violet was scared to answer, but she knew that if she didn't, it could make things worse at some point.

"There was a hunter he killed. I hired him to capture him and not harm him, and he left that man barely alive instead when he heard someone else coming. I didn't know his name, just that he was raising someone dangerous, whom I also didn't know about at the time. When I looked into who it was after he died, I knew I fucked up. His name was Lee. He-"

"What?" Clementine was shaking, her eyes wide and filled with shock.

"Lee. I learned he raised you when I looked into him, and what he knew about you. Carver was right with what he said, about you not knowing something. But it wasn't about his death, which I didn't want, it was about you."

Clementine's breathing became uneven, and Violet heard her heart pounding a million miles a minute. She knew that if she told her, it would shatter her. But this wasn't something she could hide.

"Do you know why you can kill Vampires with such ease? Why your wounds heal faster than normal? Why your senses are better than most?"

"I don't..."

"I knew one of your parents, your father to be specific. I met him at least a hundred years ago. When I learned of you, I remembered something he said before he died, 21 years ago. He had a daughter with a human women. I looked at some of his journal entries, and saw what he named her. That daughter is you. You have Vampiric blood in your veins."

Clementine said nothing. She only sat there, staring down at the ground. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing, but a small part of her knew it was true. Did Carver know before Violet? He must have. She remembered what Lee had said, how Vampires were after her. He must have known.

"What... what does that mean?"

Violet had a look of sorrow on her face. She hadn't wanted to tell her at all, she knew it might bring her life crashing down around her. She hated it, after growing attached to her.

"It means you're a target."

"For who, exactly?"

"Almost every Vampire out there except me. Your blood makes you valuable, if they can get to you. They think that if they drink it, their power will double."

Clementine fell silent. A million thoughts were running through her head now, and none of them were good. She wanted to forget everything she had just heard, to go back to how life was before she accepted those contracts so long ago. She knew it wasn't possible, but it didn't make any of this easier.

She also remembered that Violet said the chance of turning from a bite was higher than the chance of death, and that gave her a small flicker of hope. Maybe Gabe hadn't vanished and wound up dead, maybe he had been bitten. Maybe her friend was still alive. Somewhere.

"And what about you? Where do you stand in all this?"

Violet sighed, "If you're implying that I have an ulterior motive by staying with you, that's not the case. I staged that whole ordeal with Carver to lure you in. I figured, if I got to you first, I could keep the other Vampires that are after you away. I'm prepared to fight my own kind to help keep you safe, and not just because of your blood."

"What else is it, then?"

______________________________________________________

When Gabe woke up, he woke up to major pain in his head, a hunger in his gut. Something was very, very wrong. He looked at his reflection in the mirror he kept with him, and saw that his eyes had lost all coloration, instead turning a very bright orange, brighter than when he first turned.

Now he was scared. He threw the mirrow at the cave wall, and it shattered on impact. He tried in vain to contain his fear, and began clawing at the walls. His fingers came away broken and bloody, but seemed to mend themselves almost immediatly. He picked up a shattered piece of the mirror and upon further inspection, saw his skin had stretched a small degree against his skull.

He slumped against the wall, trying to ignore the hunger in his stomach growing stronger by the minute. Then came the voices.

Someone was outside the cave, but he couldn't tell if it was a human or... someone like him. Then he heard the pounding in his ears, like someones heart was pounding against his eardrums. Then came the scent. He didn't know how he could tell, but it was blood he smelled. The pounding became stronger and quicker until he couldn't take it anymore.

He rushed out of the cave and pounced onto the man that was outside. He heard himself hiss violently before plunging his fangs into the man's neck, his screams of pain being drowned out by his hunger. Hours seemed to pass until he withdrew, and the man laid there, all life drained from his eyes.

At first Gabe felt horrified at what he'd just done. It hadn't been him, he told himself, his hunger had taken control. Then he felt a sense of calm wash over him, and all sense fear gone. He stood over the man's body, and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth.

He knew now that he was no longer human, but he didn't want to be alone. Maybe when he showed himself, he could convince Clementine to let him turn her. If she declined, he might do it anyway. What did he have left to lose?

______________________________________________________

"What do you mean by 'what else'? Are my good intentions not enough, princess?"

"You know what I meant, Violet."

  
Violet sighed, "You're just going to keep prying until I tell you?"

  
"Yep, so spill."

"I... I have this feeling in my gut, a burning feeling, whenever we're alone. I don't know how to properly describe it, i'm not used to having feelings."

To her surprise, Clementine smiled. "What's got you so happy?"

"You want me to tell you what it is you're feeling?"

"If it'll help me get it under control, then yes."

"It's love, Vi."


	6. Request

 Violet didn't know what to make of what Clementine had told her, even three months after she had said it. Three whole months. It had not only been unexpected, but a shock, and not what some would call a 'casual shock'. If it was casual, Clementine's words still wouldn't be ringing in her ears most nights. She never thought of her words as bad, negative, or just downright stupid. In truth, she had no idea what to think at this point. It was nerve racking, at best.  
  
 _"It's love, Vi."_

It was those three words that her mind in shambles. She had plenty of opportunity to ask Clementine to clarify what that meant, why it had left her the way it had, but she couldn't. The first few days after she had asked she seemed normal, almost cheerful despite everything that had happened to her since they'd met. Things like that would leave any human emotionally broken, irrational, but she seemed to be neither, which was strange. First she had lost one of her closest friends, then she was hit with the bombshell that she was half-vampire. Violet hadn't been able to wrap her head around why Clementine was like this. Then that changed too.  
  
Clementine started growing distant, sometimes even acting cold. Whenever Violet would ask if she was alright, if something was bothering her, she would off Violet, tell her she was fine. When she would keep asking, Clementine would snap, telling her off and saying to drop it. Her snapping shouldn't have come as a surprise to Violet, but it did. A very harsh surprise, it even hurt her some. It hurt her a lot. Violet knew she didn't feel many emotions, and emotional hurt should have been one of them, which also applied to her being happy on occasion or, as Clementine had implied, her love for her. Violet wanted these feelings to mean something, so once again, despite her better judgement, she pried again.  
  
"Clementine, would you please tell me whats bothering you? This is getting out of hand, you're-"  
  
"No."  
  
Violet sighed. "Shut up, and let me finish. You're not sleeping, you're hardly eating or drinking, and you won't even look at me. If it's about the things I told you three months ago...-"  
  
"It's part of it, but not all of it."  
  
"Then what?-"  
  
"Not only am I part Vampire, which apparently makes me a huge target, I also have nothing left, I-"  
  
Violet sat next to her, and placed her arm around her. "You have me."  
  
"I mean from back home. I can't go back to my home, one of my friends, whom I loved like a brother, like my own family, is dead. And the other thing about being part Vampire is that I'm not even human."  
  
"You're as human as you want to be."  
  
"Yeah? And how would you know?"  
  
There was hurt in Violet's eyes. She looked away from Clementine.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"  
  
"I know... You're upset, and I should've expected that. You don't need to-"  
  
"Finish it."  
  
"What?"  
  
Clementine looked her dead in the eyes. There was sadness in them, a sadness that told Violet that she was desperately trying to find something, anything to hold on to, something to give her a reason to not give up. But she also couldn't find anything. "I'm only  _half_   Vampire, right? Make me a full Vampire."  
  
"Whoa, hold up. You  _want_ me to turn you? Clementine, my whole... I don't know, my  _gig_ is to keep anything and everything from hurting you. What do you think I'll be reduced to if you die from this? I never said the chance wasn't there, I said it's small. If you die, I might as well go with you. I-"  
  
"I have nothing left to live for, Vi. I'm willing to accept the risk. Besides, I trust with more than my life at this point."  
  
"And what is that, pray tell?"  
  
"My heart."  
  
Violet knew what she meant this time. She was able to dig up old books about human emotion, and learned what love was, and the things she had started feeling matched up with the book. Clementine was feeling the same thing, from what she could guess.   
  
"If... If I do this... and you live, there's no going back."

"I know, and I don't care."  
  
"Just... close your eyes, then. Try to keep your mind of it, alright? I don't want-"  
  
Clementine kissed her, then pulled away just as quickly. She would have been left speechless if she hadn't known what she was about to do.

"Just get it over with, alright?"  
  
Violet resigned herself to it. Every fiber of her being hated this, hated the very idea of doing this. But Clementine wasn't leaving her much of a choice. She took a breath, and tried to steel herself. Then she leaned into her neck and bit down.

* * *

Clementine had been out for hours, so when Violet saw her stirring, she was relieved. Relieved even though the first words she said were stupid.   
  
"I... I gotta say, that... that hurt more than I thought it would."  
  
Violet hugged her. "You... you fucking idiot! Your out for hours, and the first thing you say is that!? Are... are you alright?"  
  
"Whoa... love you too, and I'm alive, aren't I?"  
  
Clementine was looking her straight in the eye again, and her amber eyes were gone. They were full on bright orange.  
  
Violet let her get her bearings, to wake herself up. When she guessed she was ready, she laid something else on her.  
  
"Now... now that you're a full Vampire, you half to know something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Since you were... you know, born a... half breed... you were already strong, but with the strength of a full Vampire, you... you're now stronger than most of my kin."  
  
"Well... that just means we're going to have be extra careful now, right?"  
  
Violet smiled. She may have been acting like a bit of an idiot, but she still cared for her, shared her feelings even.  
  
"You're right."  
  
She laid Clementine back against the wall, wanting to give her more time to rest. "You may act like you're not tired, but you are. Rest."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Trust me. You're gonna be hungry in a few hours probably, so just drink from me. I know you don't want to drink from people."  
  
"Yeah... thanks..."  
  
When Clementine was about to doze off again, there was a sound like a window shattering. They looked over and saw the last thing they expected to see.  
  



	7. Notice

This work is now discontinued due to lack of ideas and motivation thereof. If you want this work to be finished, contact me on any of the social media listed on my profile if you want to take ownership.

Thank you.


End file.
